SHEFFIELD – The annual Jake Landers Bluegrass Festival will be Saturday, February 15 at the historic Ritz Theatre in Sheffield. The day long Festival begins at 12:45 a.m. and is scheduled to conclude at 9:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 each and are good for the entire day of music. Passes will be provided to audience members who wish to come and go during the Festival. Sandwich foods, chili, beverages and snacks will be sold in the Encore Room adjacent to the Ritz auditorium.
Special guest this year is Herschel Sizemore. Mr. Sizemore’s interest in traditional music and bluegrass developed at a young age by listening to his mother’s guitar playing and singing and his father’s fiddle playing. Herschel’s older brother gave his 8 year old brother a mandolin and the young boy taught himself to play by ear, learning what he heard on the Grand Old Opry radio shows. Bill Monroe’s mandolin playing caught Herschel’s ear, and inspired him so much, that he credits Bill for his early interest in developing his talent.
As many great mandolin players today will readily attest: Herschel’s style, his close adherence to song melody, and the incredible clarity of his playing are what most consider the first true divergence of styles from the great master Bill Monroe. In the same manner as Monroe, Herschel remained true to his technique and musical style, setting him apart from most players on the mandolin.
General admission tickets for the Festival are available in advance at the Tennessee Valley Museum of Art, Tuscumbia, 256-383-0533, on-line at www.ritztheatre.ticketleap.com, and at the door beginning at 12:15 a.m. on performance day. Line up and performance time for the 2014 festival artists is: Savannah Grass, 1:00; Iron Horse, 1:45; Wailin Woods, 2:30; Kay Bain, 3:05; Herschel Sizemore, 3:30 ; New Home & Jake Landers, 4:10 – 5:00; the Alabama Public Television Documentary Film Sucarnochee: A Revue of Alabama Music will be screened at 5:00 followed by: Wailin Wood, 6:00 ; New Home, 6:35 ; Savannah Grass, 7:10 ; Herschel Sizemore, 7:45; Iron Horse, 8:20 ; Southern Strangers & Jake Landers, 9:00. For more information, call 256-383-0533.
Wailin Woods, a bluegrass musician who will perform at the Jake Landers Bluegrass Festival Saturday, February 15th will teach a Beginner Harmonica Workshop the from 10:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. the morning of the Festival. The workshop will cover the basics of train rhythms, single note and C major scale. Bring your own C major harmonica or purchase one for $10 at the workshop. Space is limited. Call the Tennessee Valley Museum of Art, 256-383-0533 to register or for more information.
PRESS RELEASE: Tennessee Valley Art Association, Mary Settle Cooney
